Apple Pie
by Zombiebrainz
Summary: archie has been lounging around maxie's house for three days and maxie is going gradually insane from his overstayed welcome. archie really needs to learn how to take a hint. (ardenshipping, somewhat nsfw, Maxie/Archie, kind of a sequel to Base Floor, one-shot)


Three days.

He had planted his ass on his couch for three days now.  
To be perfectly exact, three days, six hours, and twenty-four minutes had he been spending his time raiding his fridge, making a dent in his sofa, and making profane remarks left and right whenever he happened to catch sight of him.  
It had been more than reasonable, Maxie would confess, that he took him home—his ankle sprained and caving constantly under his weight, Archie had been a major asset in keeping him from damaging it further by carrying him back to his secluded, small house hidden away from the rest of Hoenn civilization. But there was a point where it was going to drive him insane, how abruptly their relationship switched from fierce rivals to 'roommates'.

Within Maxie's eyes, Archie was nothing more than a trespasser overstaying his welcome. He did not know how much longer he'd endure walking out into his living room and seeing that splash of black and blue against his red-themed décor, a sharp, painful contrast on the eyes. The warm, comfortable colors were disrupted by this nuisance.  
"Maaaaxxxieeee."  
The apple he had been cutting sprayed juices all over the cutting board as he slammed the knife fully through it, hard and abrupt as he gritted his teeth.  
Eyes closing, a sharp breath taken, Maxie counted to ten.

"… What?"

There was silence, Maxie paused in what he had been doing, opening his eyes to stare at the black and red tile beneath his smoky gray cabinets, somewhat praying that Archie was preparing to tell him the ever so sorrowful news that he was, in fact, leaving. What a pity it would be. Surely would he weep when seeing Archie taking his leave—no, no he couldn't be sarcastic. He had been forced to tell his admins to not come to him, their concern after his rather terrible fall in Mt. Pyre making them eager to visit, make sure their leader was in good health.  
It was rather difficult telling them to stay away, for there was no humanly way for him to get rid of Archie or hide him properly if they were to come.

What caused this horrible change in their lifestyles?  
There had been a switch in Archie's brain, as though something had happened at Mt. Pyre.  
He must have hit his head particularly hard, or perhaps he had accidentally landed on something that had caused this change in Archie-

"What're you thinking about?"

Gasping sharply, Maxie jerked back, his unwelcome guest's voice a puff of hot air in his ear. Strong hands settled upon his waist, fingers trying to creep to his front, though interrupted in their path as the Magma leader jerked around. The knife, slick with apple juice, was pointed defensively in Archie's direction, its tip centimeters away from caressing his tanned throat.  
"Don't touch me," Maxie hissed, Archie lifting up his hands in a sign of defeat, grinning sheepishly despite the clear endangerment he was in.  
"Didn't realize you were so sensitive, Maxie."  
Gritting his teeth, Maxie reached out, shoving at Archie's chest, the Aqua leader stumbling back only to steady himself against the counter.

"I never invited you to stay here nor did I invite you to be so… _Touchy-feely _with me, despite what you may think," he growled, slowly setting the knife back down on the cutting board.  
Would he have actually lashed out with the kitchen knife?  
Sincerely did Maxie doubt it—in the end, he bore no desire to spill blood, especially over something so minuscule.  
"Geez, sorry, sorry," Archie whined, obviously not apologetic in the slightest as he still curiously peered around Maxie. "What's that there?"

Slowly looking back, Maxie's eye brows furrowed.  
"I'm making apple pie," he grumbled, low and trying not to be heard. Archie perked up.  
"What?"  
"Apple pie, you idiot—are you blind?!"

There was already a pie tin layered with pie dough, waiting for the apples he was slicing up to be mixed with the ingredients already poured into a large bowl nearby. The station was neat and tidy, Maxie meticulous about these sorts of things, and Archie's eyes scoured over it with interest.  
"I didn't know you baked," Archie noted in surprise, Maxie rolling his eyes, feeling it safe to turn back and finish slicing up apples.  
"You don't know anything about me; we're always trying to kill each other. Why would you suddenly want to know about my habits?"  
Meandering over, slow and cautious now with the knife returned to Maxie's grip, Archie spaced himself a bit from the Magma leader as he leaned up against the counter near him.  
"I dunno, just, we're not trying to kill each other now, are we? Seems like a good time to look into things."  
Maxie looked over to frown at him, baffled by Archie's train of thought.

"You're an idiot."  
"You've already told me."

Rolling his eyes for the second time within ten minutes, Maxie scooped up the apple slices and poured them into the bowl, glad for the short-sleeved shirt he was wear as he mixed together the brown sugar, flour, and regular sugar with the apples.  
"That looks messy."  
"I didn't ask for your opinion."  
"You don't seem like the kind of guy who likes to get messy."  
"I'm full of surprises."

Half the time of mixing did Maxie shoot glares in Archie's direction, Archie seemingly full of it today as he intently watched his rival's hands working at the apples. Somewhat bothered by this, Maxie's lips thinned, pausing in his work.  
"… Are you getting off to this or something?" he snapped, Archie blinking at him.  
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't exactly have an apple fetish," he reassured, Maxie scowling. "Then stop staring at my hands like you do."

He got another one of those stupid, shit-eating grins, simply huffing as he finished, carefully, methodically, beginning to pour the mixture into the pie tin. Intently focused, he didn't pay attention to Archie now, who could have simply not existed for all he cared as he put on the top layer of dough. Pressing down the edges, cutting little triangle slots into the middle, and popping it into the preheated oven within the same flow of motion, never ceasing in his work, Maxie appeared satisfied as he set the timer, delicately making sure not to get the mess on his fingers on the plastic.  
There was some temptation to some kind of noise of completion—a satisfied sigh, even the proclamation of "Done!"—but instead he reached out to wash his hands, which were absolutely filthy with sugar, flour, and apple now.

Before he could turn on the tap, his wrist was seized, Maxie tensing, thinking, _Why did I put down the knife?  
_"Let go of me, you, you—" Maxie began to snarl, thinking of how he was under attack, that Archie had been waiting for this weakness, to undermine his foe while he was trusting. He twisted around to face the Aqua leader and wrench his hand away, only to find it done for him—Archie's other, free hand pushed hard against his lower back, Maxie squeaking in surprise as he was pressed flush against the other man.  
As if that wasn't uncomfortable enough, he watched on in horror as Archie took one of his messy, sugary fingers and popped it into his mouth, Maxie shuddering at the sensation of his tongue lapping languidly at it.

His face felt like it was on fire with humiliation, the shock of it all keeping him from squirming, but not keeping him from sputtering, "What are you doing?! You, you are _absolutely disgusting-!_"  
Archie's lips curved around his finger in a devious smile—Maxie could feel his teeth on the skin of his finger, oh god, and if he bit down—and then, oh god, he finally stopped.  
Shuddering in disgust, he pressed the heel of his other hand that had not been seized against Archie's chest, leaning away.  
"Tastes good," Archie murmured, tongue tauntingly tracing Maxie's ring finger, something strangely satisfying about feeling Maxie quiver in his grip.

"I thought you said you didn't have a fucking apple fetish, you freak?!" snarled Maxie, hand clenching into a fist to try and keep Archie from doing anything further, glaring intensely at the man who was holding him hostage. "Your hands aren't apples, are they?" Archie asked in return, receiving a bitter silence, grinning as he licked his lips.  
"Wanna taste?"  
Maxie's eyes widened, his horror only growing at the look in Archie's eyes that suggested that he wasn't going to be letting go of him anytime soon, the red-head desperately leaning away.

"No, no, I'm fine, I'm fine," he frantically tried, his palm pressing harder, harder, but Archie had the upperhand of strength, not seeming to hear him—or rather, choosing to ignore his almost pleading attempts to deny him—as he pulled him closer again, his hand crawling into his hair. Within those short few seconds, Maxie noted how it felt strangely _nice _to have fingers creeping into his hair, massaging into his scalp, soft, gentle. Then that gentle touch faded, fingers tightening their grip onto his hair as he yelped, pushing his head forward as Archie, without permission, smashed their lips together.

This is what he got for letting him stay.  
This is what he got for not giving his rival the boot, for letting them talk, letting them sit together on the couch watching TV, letting them eat meals together, letting them sit and act like anything but rivals for three days, _those damn three days-_

A tongue pushed past his lips as Maxie's fingers fumbled with his coat, trying to either push him away or something else. His mind was fogged with panic, not caring now if he was getting the mess of the pie all over Archie's front.  
Well, he was certainly getting a taste now.  
Archie's tongue was sweet, like the sugar, and yet still had the tangy hint of flour and apple, and Maxie, for an insane moment, could see why he had liked the taste of his fingers.  
The Aqua leader pulled back and Maxie sucked in a breath, chest shuddering, face flushed an even darker color. Maxie swore he could see Archie's face tinted red as well beneath his dark tan, though he wasn't given much time to let his eyes scour his visage.

"I hate you," Maxie breathed, Archie smiling back at his now weakened glare.  
"I know."

Pulled back into another kiss, Maxie was giving up by this point—Archie tasted so sweet, and he was so strangely gentle, and it bothered him, it confused him , _why was he so gentle?_—as Archie did as he wanted. He had no strength to fight him, the battle spirit fading from him as a hand crept under his shirt, warm fingertips tracing patterns along his flat stomach.  
The panicky fog was being replaced with something different, something that filled his body with warmth as that idiot's lips abandoned his own, teeth biting just beneath the conjunction of his jaw and head.  
A huff left Maxie's mouth, his eyes slipping shut as arousal consumed him, his sense of judgment fleeing as Archie's blunt fingernails dragged up his back, eliciting pleasant shivers.  
"I hate you so much," Maxie growled again, as if to make sure Archie knew, feeling himself being pushed up against the countertop, his hips jammed painfully against the black granite.  
"I hear you, baby," Archie purred, Maxie groaning softly as those rugged hands groped at him, pushed up his shirt, pressed their warm palms against his body—

"Maxie?"

Eyes snapping open, almost in sync did both leaders look over at connecting entryway between the living room and the kitchen.  
Tabitha and Courtney stood there, Courtney covering her mouth in shock and Tabitha's own gaping open, as though unable to close after his questioning call of his leader's name.  
The well-meaning bowl of soup he held looked nigh upon falling from his weakened grip, both of the admins having their eyes fixated on the pair in disbelief.

Maxie swallowed, feeling sweat bead up on his forehead.  
"I… I can explain…"  
The timer for the pie beeped.


End file.
